Occasional Runner
I need the Friday before for the medical check-in ....
You could probably get them to wave the medical check in. They'll give you a form to fill out in advance. All you do at medical is turn it in and get weighed. Then they only weigh you in Winfield at the turn.
My boss is an asshole.
Mine too! I mean, we're talking Bitch with a capital B. I really don't know what her fucking problem is.
Fortunatly I've been with my company long enough that this isn't an issue. They all know about my crazy running schedule and they also ask me about runs when asking me to travel. Plus my company is really good about this stuff and we have already all filled out vacation schedules, if there was a problem we'd know about it already. Of course things do come up, but that would have to be pretty drastic. Then again I could do a lot of my job remotely via e-mail and our network drives, which I do while traveling. Actually I'm spending the week up in Leadville, but I'll "work" mornings while there.
I think you should go in and tell them about your schedule, the purchased plane tickets, the entry fee, etc, etc, and tell them that you really have to have XXX days off even though you are not taking the whole week. Most decent employers and bosses should accomodate this for their employees, afterall you are taking time off that they "owe" you as part of your overall compensation package.
Good luck.
P.S. did you find a hotel room? My son decided to join me (hurray I have crew !!!) and I just got him into the Hostel where I'm staying.
tbd.
I learned a lesson in my youth working for the man. I asked for a couple days off way in advance, reminded my supervisor a couple times leading up to the dates and a couple days before I was to leave I was told I was needed at work. I called in sick. Never asked for special days off again but would just call in sick.
As an employer whenever my people would ask me in advance for a day or two off I always wrote it in the schedule and planned around it. Better than having them call in sick. It's just being respectful to one another.
Now having sold out and taking some time off I too will need to be working again down the road a bit. My plan is to just get a half-assed job that I won't care about and when I want time off and they don't grant it I will just quit. Of corse I can talk like that as long as my wife sees value in having me around.